Wire-drawing-die guard



H. BLOUNT WIRE DRAWING DIE GUARD- 7 Filed Jan. 28, 1927 V Nov. 13, 1928.

\ H 6/ 6/ 6/ J 66 "1' f? mvenfar Hm 5/04/02 1/ I M 1m Q W .4 A27] aa ....13, 1a8.

UNITED sTA my nnounrpor tax-rm,

TE S

Application filed January as, 1927. Serial No. 164,200.

This invention relates to material working apparatus, and more partichlarly to improvements in wire drawing apparatus.

' The objectof this invention is to provide 5 an efiicient and reliable device forpreventing accidental displacement of diesfrom a die supporting block of a .wire drawmg apparatus due tothe whipping action de" 'veloped in the trailing endofthe wire.

In accordance with'the general features of this irfvention as applied toa high speed wire drawing apparatus having a horizontally disposed block for supporting a plurality of dies through which the wire to be "reduced in diameter is progressively drawn, a pivotal shield-like member is. res liently ma ntained in operative position wlth respect to the. die block to prevent displacement of the dies carried thereby, due to the wire as it passps through the dies." The die retaining memberis arranged for movement to permit accessibility to the dies durin the string'mg operation and is automatica y returned to its operative posltlonwhen doors whichenclose the wire drawing apparatus are moved-to a closed -posit1on.

Otherob'ects and advantagesof thls nvention-will more fully appear from the to following. detailed description taken 1n connection with the; accompanying drawlng llustrating one -en'1bodiment thereof, m which- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of drawing apparatus embodying the features of this invention; Fig.2 is-an enlarged plan view of a d1e block shown in Figsl with the the retaining member inoperatlve position thereon, the dotted line position thereof being its. inoperative pfisition; y .Fig. 3 is a fragmentary'jfro'nt view; thereof,

and q Fig. Pis an enlarged fragmentary plan 15 view partly in section showing in detail the mechanism for mounting and operating the doors of the apparatus and .the cooperation between the doors and the die retaining member for automatically moving the member into its operative positionupon closure of the doors.

and particularly to ig. 1 thereof, a frame- -work 11 for supporting the various elements. 55 of a wire drawing apparatus embodying integral capstans 17- 17 plurality of sheaves whipping action. of the'trailing end of the tion and description reduced Referring now to'the drawing in detail; die.

1,691,043 \PATENT- OFFICE. 1

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COM- PM, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

a conronnrron on NEW- YORK.

\ WIBE-DRAWING DIE GUARD.

I the features of this invention is shown fragmentarily. A compartment 12 supported by the frame work 11 is provided with an opening 13 in its front wall which is adapted 'to be. closed by cooperating doors 1% shown so fragmentarily in Fig. referred to hereinafter. in the compartment 12 4, and'which will be Rotatably mounted is a plurality of of gradually in- The capstans 17 are shaft. 18 journaled in carried in the comcreasing diameters. fixed to a horizontal bearings (not shown) partment 12 and driven by an electrical 0 motor or other suitablesource of power (not shown). Disposed above the shaft 18 are a or guide rolls 19'which are independently rotatable upon a horizontally mounted shaft 20 supported within the compartment 12. For a detailed illustraof the rolls 19, capstans l7 and driving mechanism for the latter, reference may be' had to Patent 1,598,937 to- John N. Selvig, dated September 7, 1926.- The details of these elements have been omitted from the present application for the sake of simplicity, since a full disclosure tion of the rolls, capstans and driving mechcomplete underanism is .not essential to a standing of .this invention.

Mounted within the compartment'12 intermediate the capstans 17 and the rolls '19 is a die block 21 provided with up er and lower horizontal .shelves 22, each of which carries a plurality of wire drawing dies 23 Figs. 2 and 3) of gradually decreasing iameters. A supply. (not shown)=of wire 24 to be reduced in diameter is mounted near the bottom of the framework 11, the wire being guided from the supply over and under guide pulleys? 26 and 27, res' ectively, and thence over the rear. guide rol 19 and through the first reducing die 23, which is the extreme upper die as viewed in Fig. 2, carried by 'the 'die block 21. The wire 24 is then wound once around the capstan -17 of smallest diameter; after which it is passed upwardly andover the next roll 19, through the'next red'ucing'die and around the next capstan, etc., etc., until it is finally to the correct diameter by the last From the latter die the drawn wire 24' is passed around thecapstan 17 of largest I diameter, after which it is guided by sheaves 30 and. 32 to a take-up spool 34, dotted lines 110 too (Fig. 1), driven by suitable mechanism mounted in a housing The guide sheave 32 is mounted upon the free end of a pivotal tension arm 36 which forms part of an elastic leverage mechanism 37 provided to control the speed of the take-up spool 34 responsive to the tension on the drawn wire getween the take-up spool and last reducing 1e. scription of the mode of o eration of the leverage mechanism 37, re erence is made to the hereinbefore referred to patent, since this mechanism is identical with that disclosed in this patent.

Pivoted in a vertical plane upon the forward end of the die block 21 as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is a shield-like member 40 which extends rearward as viewed in Fig. 2 for such a distance that it lies adjacent a plurality of dies 23 carried upon the forward end of each of the shelves 22. The dies, just mentioned are the high speed dies or the dies through which the wire is drawn with the greatest speed and consequently the dies most likely to" be thrown or displaced from the block 21 upon the trailin end of the wire settingup a whipping action as it passes through the dies. The member 40 is provided with a pair of separated lugs 41 which engage opposite ends of a lug 42 provided upon the block 21, a pin 43 passing through aligned openings in the lugs 41 and 42 serves as a pivot for the member. he member 40 is resiliently maintained in either its closed or operative position as shown in full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or its open or inoperative position as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4 by a coiled tension spring 44 attached at opposite ends to the member 40 and the block 21.. The movement of the member 40' about its pivot 43 to either its closed or open position is limited by opposed surfaces 45 and 46, respectively, thereof engaging a vertical surface of the block 21. Formed integral with the member 40 upon the upper end of the vertical wall thereof is a horizontal flange or ledge 47 which extends toward the dies 23 above the upper or entrance sides thereof and over the upper ed e of the upper shelf 22.

eferring now to Fig. 4, as previously stated, the front of the compartment 12 is closed by cooperating doors 14. The doors 14 are each secured to a depending arm 50 of a bracket 51. These brackets 51 are each provided with two other arms 52' spaced apart, one above the other, and integral therewith. Only the upper arm 52 is indicated in the drawings, the other being directly therebelow. Mounted between the arms 52 is a bifurcated end of a lever 53, the bifurcated portions thereof carrying adjustable bearing pins 56 which project within bearings carried by the arms 52. The doors 14 are supported on the levers 53 which For a detailed illustration and deare in the'r closed position,

are fastened to stub shafts 57 rotatably mounted within suitable bearings carried by the top wall .11 of the compartment 12. One end of each of the shafts 57 has integral therewith a segmental gear 59, which gears mesh with each other. Each of the upper arms 52 is provided fits within an arcuate slot 61 formed in a plate member 64 secured to the top wall'11 of the compartment 12. The arcuate slots 61 are each provided with a curved portlon with-a roller which 65 to receive the roller 60 when the doors as shown in Fig. 4. To open the doors 14, either one is moved by means of handles 66 provided thereon, the doors being moved inwardly to the dotted line position thereof as shown in Fig. 4 by its lever 53, which is guided through the medium of the segmental gears 59, which operatlvely connect the levers 53. 'It will be observed that when the doors 14 are in their open position they are mounted at opposite sides of the capstans 17; and with the right block 21 door between the die supporting and the inside surface of. the right wall 11 of the compartment 12, thus'leaving the front of the "compartment entirely unobstructed. In this position of the doors 14 the die retaining member 40 may be readily turned by an-attendant upon its pivot 42 from its closed to its open'position to facilitate the die stringing operation. With the member 40 in its open position, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4, and upon the doors 14 belng moved from the extreme right dotted line position to the left dotted line position, it will engage the outer surface of the member 40 and a continued movement of the doors 14 will cause the member to be turned clockwise about itspivot 43. Upon the end ofthe spring 44 which is/attached to the member 40 passing'to the left of the pivot, the spring will function to quickly move the member to its operative or closed positon, as shown in full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

During the operation of drawing wire the speed thereof becomes greater as the wire is passed through each succeeding die, due to the gradually increasin diameters of the capstans, so that by the time it reaches the forward dies 23 (Fig. 2) carried upon each of the shelves 22 it is traveling at a very high speed. -Upon the free or trailing end of the wire nearing these dies' there is de; veloped a whipping action and-upon the end of the wire passing reaction to the force exerted upon the dies as the wire is drawn therethrough, taken with the developed whipping action, causes the dies to rise from their supporting shelves and to be thrown or displaced from the block 21 and. occasionally lost. A displacement of the dies as just. described is prevented by a retaining device embodying the through the dies, thefeatures of this invention, since upon the dies reacting to the downward force thereon as the wire is drawn therethrough and the whipping action of the fast moving Wire, the dies although they may rise from the shelves 22 will not be thrown therefrom for they will engage the flange or ledge L7 in the case of the upper shelf and the vertical inside surface of the wall of the member in the case'of the lower shelf and thereby deflected back onto their respective supporting shelves.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wire drawing apparatus, a die supporting block a die supported loosely thereon, and a die retaining device comprising means positioned adjacent the block and the die supported thereon for preventing accidental displacement of the die from the block by the action of the wire as-it passes through the dies.

2. In a wire drawing apparatus, a die supporting block, a plurality of dies supported loosely thereon, and a die retaining device comprlsing a member pivotally carried upon the block and normally in position adjacent the dies supported thereon for preventing accidental displacement of the die from the block by the action of the wire as it passes through the dies.

3. In a wire drawing apparatus, a die supporting block, a plurality of dies supported thereon, and a die retaining device comprising means positioned adjacent the block and designed to extend along angularly disposed faces of the dies supported thereon for preventing accidental displacement of the dies from the block by the action of the wire as it passes through the dies.

4. In a wire drawing apparatus, a die supporting block, a plurality of dies .supported thereon, and a die retaining device comprising a pivotal member normally positioned adjacent a horizontally disposed edge of the block and provided with a ledge ex tending toward the dies above the entrance sides thereof for preventing accidental, displacement of the dies from the block by the action of the wire as it passes through the 5. In a die supporting device, a die supporting block, a plurality of dies supported thereon, a die retaining device comprising a member pivotally carried upon the block and normally positioned adjacent the block and the dies supported thereon for preventing accidental displacement of the dies from the block upon the trailing end of the wire setting up a whipping action as it passes through the dies, and an elastic medium operatively connected to the member and block for maintaining the member in either its operative or inoperative position.

6. In a wire drawing apparatus, a compartment having an opening in one wall thereof, wire drawing mechanism located adjacent the die block and the ,dies supported thereon for preventing accidental displacement of the dies from the block by the action of the wire as it passes through the dies, and a member for closing the opening in the compartment arranged to effect the automatic return of the means to its normal position upon the operation of the member to its closed position.

7. In a wire drawing apparatus, a compartment having an opening in one wall thereof, wire drawing mechanism located within the compartment including a die supporting block, a member pivotally carried upon the block and normally positioned adjacent the die block and the dies sup ported thereon for preventing accidental displacement of the dies from the block by the act-ion of the Wire as it passes through the dies, and a door for closing the opening in the compartment arranged to effect the automatic return of the member to its normal position upon the operation of the. door to its closed position.

8. In a wire drawing apparatus, a compartment having an opening in one wall thereof, wire drawing mechanism located within the compartment including a. die

supporting block, an element normally posi,

tioned adjacent the die block and the dies supported thereon for preventing accidental displacement of the dies from the block upon the trailing end of the wire setting up a whipping action as it passes through the dies, a member for closing the opening in the compartment arranged to -effect the auto- -matic return ofthe element to its normal position upon the operation of the member to its closed position, and means for resiliently maintaining the element in either its normal or inoperative position.

9. In a wire drawing apparatus, a die supporting block, a die supported loosely there'- on, and a die retaining device comprising an arcuate shaped member positioned adjacent the block and the die, said device being effective upon an accidental displacement of the die from the block to prevent its further displacement by the action of' the wire as it passes through the die.

10. In a wire drawing apparatus, a die supporting block, a die thereon, a die retaining device comprising a member pivotally carried upon the block, and resilient means for retaining said member in position adjacent the die supported on supported loosely I the block for preventing accidental displace-.

ment of the die from the block by theaction of the wire as it passes through the die.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my7name this 11th day of January, A. D. 192 0 HARRY BLOUNT. 

